Family Matters
by I. M. Frelling-Wonko
Summary: #6.5 in my Holiday series. Cam and Caro go to her parent's house for Thanksgiving. Companion to "Thankful".


This is the companion piece to _Thankful_. It ties in directly to that story.

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**Disclaimer: **Not mine. :(

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**Spoiler Warnings:** None.

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**Family Matters**

**22 November**

"Stop fidgeting, Cam." Carolyn scolded as she rang the doorbell. "It's just dinner. You'll be fine."

Cam stared at her in disbelief. She was kidding, right? "It's _not_ just dinner. It's Thanksgiving dinner with you _parents_."

"Well, it's not like you haven't met them before."

"That actually makes it worse. Your father is my commanding officer. There are times I think he wishes he could have me court-martialled just for dating you, let alone marrying you."

"You're just being dramatic." Carolyn said with a roll of her eyes. "Dad likes you."

Cam continued to stare at her as if she'd gone completely mad but chose not to say another word as the front door opened. Behind it stood General Hank Landry, leader of the SGC, his CO and soon-to-be father-in-law. Cam unconsciously stood at attention but stopped himself from saluting.

"At ease, Colonel." Landry said with a slight smirk then turned toward his daughter with a smile. "Carolyn, I'm so glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything." Caro replied and hugged her father.

Cam was glad to see there was no longer any hesitancy between the two. It had been a long road, but he could see they had finally put the past behind them where it belonged and were now focussed on the future. He placed his hand tenderly on the small of her back and smiled lovingly down at her. She returned the smile and they followed Landry into the house.

"Your mother is in the kitchen. Apparently I'm not allowed entrance."

"I'm going to say hi." Caro said with a bright smile. "Cam, why don't you and Dad go relax in the den?"

Cam wanted to protest but knew he was going to lose the argument so he simply watched as Carolyn disappeared down the hall. She had a slight spring to her step and Cam was happy to see it. She'd been so excited when her parents remarried six months ago. Cam was happy for them, too, knowing exactly what kind of pressure a career in the military could put on a marriage.

"Colonel?"

Cam fought the urge to come to attention again as he turned back to face Landry.

"The den is this way, Colonel. Follow me."

Letting out a gusty breath, Cam followed the general. Did the man have to be so formal? Then again, could he handle being called Cam by his CO? Calling the man Hank? Cam shuddered at the thought. It had taken him long enough to refer to O'Neill as Jack and he'd never even been directly under that man's command. Nope, Colonel was good.

"Would you care for a drink?" Landry asked.

"Uh, sure." Cam sat uncomfortably on the recliner. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. He'd been alone with the general before. Of course, he hadn't been engaged to the man's daughter at the time. Hell, he hadn't even been _dating_ her back then. Now he always felt as if Landry was watching him, making sure he didn't screw up.

"So, how's the new team coming along?" Landry asked as he handed Cam a glass full of whiskey. He took a sip of the liquid before answering.

"It's good, Sir." And it was, amazingly enough. He'd thought he'd have a tough time getting used to different team mates, but the people he'd chosen were very good at their jobs and Cam genuinely liked them all. "Captain Richards is young but a good tactical officer. She's starting to get over her awe of the other planets. Major Harris understands Goa'uld technology almost as well as Sam and he keeps his explanations short and non-technical. Dr. Woo is still a bit shy but seems to be coming out of her shell a little. And, on the plus side, she doesn't touch things before understanding what they do first."

Landry snorted and settled further into his chair. "I'm glad it's all working out for you, son."

"Thank you, Sir." Cam relaxed a bit. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad, after all.

"And the wedding plans. I hope adjusting to your new team hasn't kept you from helping out."

Was that a covert way of finding out if he was neglecting his duties? Cam knew he had to tread carefully with this one. "No, Sir. I help out whenever I can." He stopped for a moment before continuing. "At least, whenever Carolyn _lets_ me."

Landry snorted again and grinned. "A bit controlling, isn't she?"

"Um...well..."

"Never mind, son. She gets her perfectionism from her mother."

"Uh, yes, Sir." Cam didn't know what else to say to that and Landry was staring at him as if daring him to contradict. Cam returned his stare without flinching. After a few moments, Landry smiled again and Cam felt as if he'd just passed some kind of test.

"So, who are you rooting for in the game?" Landry asked as he turned on the television.

Cam was only mildly disoriented by the abrupt subject change but chose to take it as a good sign. As he relaxed into his seat, he wondered why he'd been so worried about this in the first place.

()()()()

"It seems awfully quiet in there." Carolyn said with a worried glance toward her father's den. "Maybe I should check on them."

"I wouldn't worry about it so much, dear." Kim said, handing her a potato to peel. "Your father wouldn't actually hurt the boy. He likes Cameron."

"I know that but Cam doesn't seem so certain. I'm afraid he'll say or do something that so...so...him."

"He'll be fine. He's a good man and has a good head on his shoulders. Your father knows that."

"I hope you're right."

"Trust me, dear. The worst that could happen is your father challenging him to an arm wrestling competition."

"He wouldn't!" Carolyn looked at her mother so quickly, she nearly nicked her thumb with the peeler she was using.

Kim only grinned enigmatically and Caro groaned. And her father wondered why she never let him meet her boyfriends before.

()()()()

A while later, Carolyn stood just outside the den and listened for a moment. She heard a few odd noises. Grunts, maybe? Tentatively, she knocked on the door and opened it a bit. "Dad? Cam?" She peeked her head inside and found the two men were watching a football game. They glanced over at her with innocent smiles. Too innocent. She glared at them for a moment but neither broke so she gave up. She'd get Cam to tell her what was up later. "Mom wants you to set the table." she told them.

"Okay, we'll be right there." her father said but continued to remain seated.

Carolyn glared at them once more then left the room. Yep, they were definitely up to something. Shaking her head, she went back to the kitchen. She remained contemplative as she helped her mother gather the dinnerware. A few moments later, her father and Cam walked in. Carolyn's eyes narrowed as she watched her father flex then massage his right hand. Was he getting a touch of arthritis? She was about to question him when her gaze landed on Cameron. He was rubbing his right arm as if it were in pain. Caro's eyes grew wide as she realised what was going on. She'd hoped her mother had been joking about the arm wrestling. Apparently she'd been wrong. Turning toward her mother, Caro saw the laughter in the older woman's eyes and she sighed in defeat. Rolling her eyes, she shoved a stack of plates into Cam's arms, being certain to push heavily on his sore one. He gave her his sad little boy look but she only glared. Served him right, she thought and walked away. Why did men have to act so juvenile?

()()()()

Carolyn was pissed. Cam could see it every time she sent a piercing glare at him across the table. Oh, she'd sent the same looks to her father but he seemed unfazed by it, smiling and chatting as if nothing were amiss. Yeah, nothing more than the man nearly disabling Cam. He wouldn't be surprised if there was permanent joint damage in his arm now. How did a man who sat behind a desk all day stay so fit? Cam made to reach for the cranberry sauce when he felt a painful jolt shoot up his arm. He winced and just barely held in the moan that wanted to escape. But Caro had seen it and was sending him another heated glare. Why was she even so angry at him? And, more worrying, how did she know what they'd been doing? That woman was psychic, there was no other explanation. With a heavy sigh, he realised he was going to have to talk to her but he certainly wasn't doing it in front of her parents. He'd have to wait until he got her alone. With that in mind, he concentrated on his meal. He waited until the pie was gone before speaking up.

"Mrs. Landry, that was an amazing meal. Thank you."

"Thank you, Cameron. And, please, call me Kim."

Cam only nodded and smiled. When he noticed Kim gathering the plates, he stopped her. "Allow me. It's the least I can do." Without giving her a chance to argue, he took the plates from her. He gave Caro a pointed stare, asking her to join him so they could talk.

"I'll help." Caro said almost grudgingly. "Why don't you and Dad go relax?"

"You won't get any arguments from me." Hank said readily as he helped Kim up and they left the room.

Good, Cam thought. Maybe now he could get some answers. They carried dishes back and forth in silence but on the final trip, Cam stopped her before she could get away. "Care to tell me what I did that was so awful?" he asked. When she only rolled her eyes and started walking away, he grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. "C'mon, Caro. You have to help me out here. I can't fix this if I don't know why you're so angry."

"I'm not angry." she said on a sigh. "I'm...irritated."

Okay, irritated was better than angry. Right? Before he could say anything, though, Carolyn continued.

"How could you let my father talk you into arm wrestling? It's so...so childish. What were you two trying to prove, anyway?"

All right, that sounded suspiciously like anger but he wasn't going to quibble over semantics. "First of all, we were not trying to prove anything. It was just a spur of the moment thing. What can I say, it's guy thing. Second, I didn't _let_ him talk me into it. Have you ever tried to say no to the general?"

"Cam, you cannot let him intimidate you. When are you going to stop thinking of him as your CO and start thinking of him as my father?"

"Is that what this is all about?" he questioned gently. She nodded and he smiled, kissing her forehead. "Honey, he _is_ my CO. There's just no getting around that. The fact that he's also your father makes it all the more strange."

"I know. I just don't like the idea of him using that against you. He's done the whole "I'm a general in the Air Force, fear me" bit before with my boyfriends. I'd just thought it would be different with you. He already knew you and he actually _likes_ you. I don't get why he's doing it."

"He's doing it because he loves you, because he only wants the best for you. I'd probably do the same thing in his position."

"You would do that to our daughter?" She sounded incredulous and he almost laughed.

"In a heartbeat." he answered honestly. "And for the record, your father does not intimidate me. Do I want his respect? Of course. His approval? Hell, yes. But I am not afraid of him. I wouldn't care if he was the president of the United States, I will not allow him to scare me away. I love you and nothing is going to change that."

"I know that." Carolyn said and snuggled in for a hug. "I guess I'm just a little neurotic when it comes to my father. And I'm sorry for getting so...irritated over this."

"That's okay. If our parents can't make us neurotic, who can?" She laughed and he leant in for a lingering kiss. Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers and smiled. "I love you, Caro."

"I love you, too, Cam. And just so you know, _you are_ what's best for me." She grinned at him and kissed him again.

Hank Landry stood quietly in the kitchen doorway and smiled. He had to agree with Carolyn. If his daughter was going to marry anyone, he was glad it was Cameron Mitchell. He couldn't tell _him_ that, though. It was far too much fun to mess with the younger man. In fact, they seemed to be getting a sight too cosy in the kitchen so he decided to butt in. It was his right as a father. Clearing his throat, he almost laughed as they jumped apart like two teenagers caught in the act.

"Your mother and I were wondering if you were going to join us in the den." He addressed Carolyn but glared at Mitchell. Just as he'd expected, the man started to squirm.

"Uh, yes, Sir." Cam stuttered. "We were just finishing up here."

"Hmm." Landry said and watched as Mitchell placed the last of the dishes in the dishwasher then set it. Carolyn was rolling her eyes at her poor fiancé and then glared at him. He gave her an innocent smile which only made her shake her head in defeat. She looked like she was about to say something when her phone rang.

"It's Vala." she said then answered. "Hello?...Slow down, Vala. I can't...Sam's what?...Okay, we'll be right there." Hanging up, she grabbed Cam by the arm and hurried toward the living room. "Dad, Sam's in labour. We've got to meet them at the SGC. Sorry."

"That's all right. Duty calls." He, more than anyone, understood that. But he was still disappointed.

"Thanks, Dad." she said and kissed his cheek while Cam went to get their coats. Kim had come out of the den in time to hear what was going on and Caro hugged her. "I love you, Mom, Dad. We'll call as soon as we know something."

"Thank you for having us." Cam said, shaking Landry's hand then moved on to Kim. "It really was a great meal, Mrs. Landry."

"It was our pleasure. And Cameron, it's Kim." She laughed and pulled him into a hug. "Now, you go be with your friends."

"Yes, ma'am." he said and followed Caro out the door.

Kim only shook her head and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist. "I like that boy."

"Me, too." Hank said, wrapping his own arms around his wife. He was really going to enjoy having Cameron Mitchell for a son-in-law.

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